Thank you to net galley and Canelo for allowing me to read this arc!

WOW! I was absolutely hooked and couldn’t put this down.

Ciara Duffy wakes in the middle of the night to find her husband next to her in bed, stabbed to death. She is arrested and charged with his murder. Although their marriage was difficult for a while, she isn’t a murderer and she is determined to prove her innocence and be reunited with her gravely ill daughter.

I love Amanda’s writing style that keeps the reader gripped from the first page and wow was I gripped. The twists in this book had me unable to stop reading, I just had to finish it and I was not disappointed! Almost every chapter ending with a cliffhanger!

If you love a fast, psychological and gripping thriller then this book is for you and I highly recommend this to anyone!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! This story follows midwife Ciara Duffy after waking in the middle of the night to find her husband murdered. Shortly after, Ciara is framed and arrested for the murder and will do anything to prove her innocence and get home to her daughter. This story was so fun, fast-paced, and full of twists I could have never anticipated!

The opening of this book was spot on! What a great way to start the story! Full of tense and thrill. As the book progressed I really enjoyed it! The plot is what stood out and I really liked reading along finding out what was going to happen next. The characters were really well thought out and it was an overall good read. My only thing was I felt the story could have gone a little bit longer.

The premise of this story was captivating and made me want to keep reading to find the solution to the puzzle. However, the author relied heavily on the main character reminiscing in order to fill in the gaps in the lead up to the opening scene. I think I would have preferred the typical past/present chapter rotation as is common in these types of mystery novels.

There was some suspense and action, but it was the lengthy information dumps that caused me to lose interest at times.

Wow!!!! This book deserves more than 5 stars !!!
Highly Highly recommended!!
This is the first book l've read by this author and wow did she knock it out of the park!!
The first chapter will get any parent that has ever taken their eyes off their child for even a minute
From there the twists and turns just kept coming. There was one twist in particular that I actually gasped out loud at.
I started this book at night and found myself saying one more chapter, one more chapter into the early hours of the morning. This is a read in one sitting book - just trust me !!!
I didn't even come close to predicting the ending of this book. This is very rare for me
Will be reading all Amanda's other books now (:

`Talk about an emotional ride! `Imagine fighting for your innocence after being accused for a crime that you didn't commit, all the while, your daughter is gravely ill and you can't be with her. Talk about a rollercoaster! The author did a good job bringing the action from the beginning. The ending wraps up perfectly and left me with no questions unanswered. The book was paced well, and I enjoyed the characters. Overall, 4.5 solid stars from me! Definitely a must read.

Thank you NetGalley for the eArc.

DNF @ 47%.

Thanks to the author, Netgalley, and Canelo for an ARC of this book in exhcnge for an honest review.

This book did not work for me like it did for other readers! I felt as though the author was trying to pull too much off while simultaneously feeling reductive in terms of plot.

A positive was that the writing was accessible and easy to read, fast-paced and punchy!

I will pick up ore from this author, this one just did not work for me as I wanted it to!

The Stranger Inside is a gripping, emotionally charged thriller that explores the dark corners of grief, manipulation, and identity. While a few twists were predictable, the emotional payoff was strong and satisfying.

Fans of domestic suspense and slow-burn psychological thrillers will find this one haunting and hard to put down.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oh wow. Such a plot twists. Multiple times. Couldn't get my jaw off the floor. Such a five star book. Thank you for letting me read.

This is a very delicious page turner that will have you up all night yelling at the characters that can’t hear you lol so good gore through these pages so fast

What would you do if you ended up in prison for a murder you didn’t commit, while your daughter is fighting for her life?
Would you put your faith in the police and the justice system, or would you grab the slightest chance to escape with both hands?

We meet Ciara, who is faced with both of these impossible situations.
You constantly get the feeling that no matter what Ciara does, she’s backed into a corner with no way out. Until a tragic event suddenly shows her a glimmer of light at the end of a long, dark tunnel. Hopefully, it's a train leading her to answers – and not one that sends her over the edge…

I admire Ciara. She keeps fighting and takes multiple risks to prove her innocence. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking when it comes to her daughter’s health. There, too, she faces a life-or-death battle.

The author keeps the tension high throughout, and I loved the twists and turns woven into the story. Some were brilliant, others maybe a bit too coincidental.
The decisions Ciara makes are admirable and brave, though I didn’t always find them entirely believable. That’s why this book gets a solid 4 stars from me.

Thank you

Ciara's marriage to Morgan has been troubled for some time, even though he has been a good stepfather to her young daughter Sally before this. And she has appreciated that not only because of Sally's health problems, but also because Ciara has been keeping a problematic secret regarding her daughter.

Despite their marital issues the last thing she expects to find is to wake up with Morgan's dead body in their bed with a knife through his corpse, with Ciara being accused of his murder.

You can always rely on Amanda Cassidy to tell a gripping story, but this one is particularly complicated and provides many unexpected twists. It should satisfy even the most experienced thriller reader!

The Stranger Inside is a tightly wound, emotionally charged thriller that had me questioning every character’s truth—including the protagonist’s. Amanda Cassidy crafts a story that feels like peeling back layers of polished perfection only to find something much darker simmering underneath.

From the beginning, I was hooked by the tension—not just in the mystery itself, but in the relationships, the silences, the things left unsaid. Cassidy plays with memory, trauma, and identity in a way that’s both gripping and unsettling. As the story unfolded, I found myself constantly shifting loyalties, unsure who to trust, and completely unable to stop turning pages.

What I appreciated most was how grounded it felt emotionally. Yes, there are twists, but they hit harder because the characters feel real—their grief, their fear, their denial. It’s not just about what happened. It’s about how people live with what happened, how they bury it, reshape it, or let it destroy them.

If you’re drawn to psychological thrillers that are as much about the emotional aftermath as the crime itself, The Stranger Inside delivers. Taut, smart, and quietly devastating—it lingers long after the last page.

Wow, what a fantastic book! This is the first book that I’ve read by this author, but it certainly won’t be the last. I was drawn in from page 1 and couldn’t put it down as the twists kept coming. I’d definitely recommend it.

This was a dark, atmospheric thriller with a strong emotional undercurrent. The Stranger Inside explores the aftermath of a horrific crime and how it impacts those left behind, especially the victim’s sister, Rachel. It’s part mystery, part psychological drama, and it really digs into themes like trauma, grief and guilt.

The pace is steady rather than fast, but the tension builds nicely as secrets start to surface. Amanda Cassidy writes with empathy, and while some parts are tough to read emotionally, it never feels gratuitous. The setting — a small Irish community — adds to the claustrophobic feel, and the twists keep you guessing without feeling forced.

If you like your thrillers layered and character-driven, this one is worth picking up.

Thank you, Netgalley and Canelo, for this ARC.

From the moment I read the description for this book, I was drawn in. I was shocked by the twist as it was truly unexpected. This book was unlike one I have read before. My only downside is I felt like there were a few different things happening along the storyline, and I had to keep up with that. Overall, it was an enjoyable thrilling experience.

This book is an intense, emotional rollercoaster that grabs you from the first page and doesn’t let go. It’s a dark and gripping psychological thriller, filled with suspense, shocking twists, and raw emotion. The story follows midwife Ciara Duffy, who wakes to find her husband murdered beside her and is swiftly arrested for the crime. With her gravely ill daughter depending on her, and no one to trust, Ciara faces an impossible choice—stay and fight or run for her life.

The writing is sharp, the atmosphere chilling, and the exploration of trauma, identity, and secrets is both powerful and thought-provoking. As a mother, the fear of being separated from your child hits hard, making Ciara’s journey all the more haunting. The plot is fast-paced and packed with tension, though at times it may feel like there’s almost too much happening. Still, it’s a story that digs deep into the messy parts of human nature and keeps you turning the pages.

While the ending may feel a bit far-fetched to some, it doesn’t take away from what is overall a smart, addictive, and haunting read. Highly recommended for fans of psychological thrillers with emotional depth and unexpected turns.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for the chance to give an honest review in exchange for an ARC.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Canelo for the advance copy.

This book wastes no time diving into the action — it’s packed with drama, tension, and plenty of unexpected turns. At times, the plot felt slightly overcrowded, but the emotional weight carried it through. As a parent, the idea of being separated from your child really struck a chord with me, and Ciara’s situation was incredibly affecting. The narrative kept me hooked throughout, though I have to admit, the conclusion stretched believability a bit too far for my taste. Still, it was a compelling and worthwhile read.

I was questioning everything right from the off. And the when she went out and saw something on her baby monitor I knew,I knew this was about to begin in earnest pace. And boy was I right. The mother comes home. The mother sees nothing out of the norm. OK...right? No nothing will ever be right again or so it seems because when pur mother, Ciara then wakes she finds her husband dead. And she of course is suspect number one. Now she mist decided what to do. Her child needs her. She's innocent! So can she wait for justice when justice has already been shown to pass her by. Or does she go into survival mode and get out of there by any means?
What would we do? What does she do? Well you are in for a frantic and delicious ride to find out. This book is sharp and the plot of smart. It knows exactly where its going to take you and how.
Brill. A unique take for a thriller plot too.

Gripping
Gritty
Galvanizing

The Stranger Inside followed Ciara Duffy when she returned home one night and found her husband stabbed to death. Moments before, she’d seen a suspicious figure in the house via a baby monitor app—but when she rushed back, the house was empty. The police didnt believe her, and she was arrested for the murder.

Amanda Cassidy’s writing style was clear and woven with a sense of urgency and tension. From the start, she set the tone with a dark and gritty atmosphere that mirrored the main characters grim circumstances. I immediately felt a connection to the main character. It was disheartening to follow her as she fought for justice and her child.

I liked how Cassidy’s wrote a tight and purposeful narrative. More specifically, the short chapters that ended with suspenseful hooks had me thoroughly engaged. I also liked how Cassidy built on the characters’ emotional complexity. This allowed for the characters to unravel in a realistic way. They felt genuinely human. Even more, I liked how the twists were grounded and didn’t feel overly dramatic. Cassidy revealed subtle clues and structured the narrative to seamlessly blend the past and present timelines naturally. Lastly, Cassidy incorporated common tropes often seen in psychological mystery thrillers but she also focused on one that I hadn’t read often. That said, I was most intrigued by the main theme of a woman being wrongfully accused and how the psychological toll of wrongful imprisonment and the desperation was fueled by the quest for truth.

Overall, I am so appreciative to Net Galley and Canelo for an advance copy. If it weren’t for them giving me a copy, I would have missed out on “new to me” talented author. For those readers that appreciate psychological mystery thrillers that are utterly tense, emotionally driven, and sharply observant, you will want to read “The Stranger Inside”.

Thank you to Net Galley and Canelo for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.